Logo Design Blog » Logo Design

Microsoft 2011 Logos Controversy â€“ Real or Fake?

Nora Reed — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:26:26 +0000

Microsoft, in a latest series of development, has got caught up in a logo design controversy on the blogosphere. The mystery developed when a video leaked on YouTube from the Microsoft Global Exchange (MGX) conference presumably presenting Microsoft 2011 brand logos. While the original video cannot be accessed after being pulled down, some snippets are still available that reveal new conceptual logos for Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox, Bing and Office.

The Real Upcoming Slogan – Be What’s Next!

Apparently, the real purpose of the conference was to unveil a new slogan to go with the Microsoft logo. This was the only part of the video that the Redmond Company confirmed. Microsoft will be getting a new motto to go along with its logo design. According to the software giant the new tagline is “Be What’s Next.” Users should expect to see this motto on Microsoft products in the near future.

New Brand Logos or Concepts?

A few months back confusion caused Apple logo design folly to surface. This video does the same for Microsoft. It shows a fast moving sequence of morphing logos, shifting from Windows logo, to Windows Phone logo, Xbox logo, Bing logo, and finally the Office logo. While Microsoft clarified that the designs shown in the MGX were merely illustrating the “flexibility” of the software giant’s brands.

Following images are quiet blur, as these are the snippets sliced from the available videos, picked them from engadget.com so you could have a quick look for each of the brand logos concept.

Windows Logo Design Concept:

Windows Phone Logo Design Concept:

XBOX Logo Design Concept:

Bing Logo Design Concept:

MS Office Logo Design Concept:

Question of the Post?

Regardless of the confusion, I find the concept of flexibility of Microsoft’s logo morphing into their product logos, quite creative. Do you think that these concept logos should be implemented in reality?

How to make Clients pay for your Logo Design â€“ The Answers!!!

Nora Reed — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:43:06 +0000

For those of you who haven’t come through my earlier post, here is a flashback of what this post is regarding. Last week, I discussed 5 dangerous signs that your client won’t pay for your logo. As pledged, I will suggest you some practical ways on how to handle situations where your client won’t pay for your logo design.

You’ve finally completed and submitted your logo design project to your client and are eagerly awaiting your remuneration for your efforts. You wait and wait and wait…but there is no sign of anything! You’re stood up! This is a scenario many logo designers face these days. Not that every client is bad and dishonest but there are a few who can be quite chaotic on money matters.

1. Know your client – Is he capable of paying?

First thing you want to make completely sure is that…is your client capable of paying you for the project in the first place? Avoiding the discussion of how much logo designers charge or what are the cost of famous logos, when a client approaches you for a logo design, he must be financially capable of paying you as well. Whether you’re dealing with a large corporation or a small business owner, run a check on his financial conditions and find out his monetary strength. This will prevent you from accepting projects from any defaulter clients.

2. Bind your client via contract:

Long gone are the days when business deals used to be sealed through oral agreements. Nowadays, logo designers must emphasize on making contractual agreements with their clients to avoid any default in the future. Binding your clients with a contract legally secures your worries of non-payments. Logo designers must keep a contract for each project they take up with every detail incorporated in it. Set the deadline dates, complete project details, mode of payment and all other terms and conditions.

3. Always insist on an advance payment:

You spent the whole week working your brains out over a logo design project and half way in the middle, your client comes up to you and says…“I think I’ll get it designed by my neighbor”. Makes you want to kill yourself, doesn’t it? Hence, the best solution out of this quagmire is to insist on an advance payment before your start the project. Maybe a 10-20 % deposit would make you feel secure, even if the client decides to run away in the middle of the project.

4. Deal in installments:

“I don’t have the lump sum amount right now. Do you mind if I pay you later?” Regardless of the amount of truth in this statement, some clients use this bait to bail out of payment. The best thing to avoid this kind of situation is to deal in installments. Formulate a payment plan before the contractual agreement and make the client abide by it. In this way, at any stage if the client decides to abandon the project, you will still have a portion of your remuneration.

5. Don’t show till you get the dough!

Follow the rule of thumb; never be too quick in giving out the files to your clients before he/she makes the complete payment of your fee. You can never be too sure whom to trust. Sometimes, logo designers face shrewd clients who steal the logo design ideas on the pretext of a demo. So it’s better to be safe than sorry. Give the client little bits of the project to see until he does not pay you the whole fee. In a nut shell, don’t show till you get the dough!

I hope that these practical solutions will help you in solving your payment issues with clients. Please feel free to suggest other useful ways that you employ in handling such situations.

5 Dangerous signs that your client wonâ€™t pay for your logo â€“ Beware!!

Nora Reed — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:32:02 +0000

Enduring client trouble is every logo designer’s dilemma. While finding more clients is a nuisance itself but dealing with clients that won’t pay for your logo design is even more bothersome. It can be really frustrating for logo designers when they work their entire energy over a certain project and in the end don’t get compensated for their toils and troubles.

While issues over payments and remuneration are a persistent nuisance for logo designers nowadays, we can be sure of one thing…the history of logo design is filled with such cases where clients have made excessive delays in payment or simply didn’t pay the designers at all. Hence it is always better to be prepared for any wrongdoing beforehand.

5 Deadly Signs that tell your client won’t pay – Beware:

Although zodiac signs can help you predict your life’s future proceedings, it might not help in telling the signs that your client will not be paying you. Here are five sure shot signs that indicate your clients won’t pay you for your logo design.

1. Not answering your calls:

Being busy to answer a call is acceptable but when your client does not respond to your calls over several days, you can be sure that you’ve been stood up. This the most dangerous sign that indicates you’re not going to get paid by your client for your logo design. You might presume, for a few days that the client is stuck in an emergency. But when you don’t get a call or email, it shows that the client does not want to get the job done and compensate you.

2. Starts showing lack of interest in the project:

All of a sudden, you start noticing that your client isn’t keen in listening to your suggestions and has stopped taking interest in your logo design process. Voila! That’s a clear cut sign that he has lost interest in getting the logo designed and wants to just run away without paying you a penny. You can try testing your client’s enthusiasm over a few days and if it continues, then you can be sure to say good bye to your remuneration.

3. Makes delay in payments:

When you’re dealing with clients who pay in installments, you can observe some critical signals of not getting the full reimbursement. When your payments are arriving extremely late, you can be sure that your client isn’t willing to pay you the whole fee. Moreover, delay in payments when your client’s check bounces is another dangerous sign that you will not be getting compensated for your labors.

4. Continuously mocks your designs:

Client criticism is a normal thing for logo designers to bear. But when your client constantly mocks your work saying foolish things like “My 5-year-old daughter can make a better logo design than you”, you can be certain that he is seriously going to ask his daughter. Clients can come up with lame reasons of getting a logo designed even by their neighbor. Hence, the next time you hear you client coming up with silly notions, be prepared to get dumped.

5. Asks you to postpone the project for a while:

“Hey, could you just hold the logo design for a few days? Rain check! ” When you hear these words from a client, you can be most certain that he’s running away. It’s not the project that’s being held up, it’s you who is being stood up in the middle of your efforts. What happens here is that some clients spend quality time with designers and in the middle of the project, ditch them while robbing them of their remuneration and logo design ideas.

Practical ways to handle such situations:

Let me clarify that my post is not to create negative opinions against clients. In my next post I will suggest you some practical ways on how to handle such situations where your client won’t pay you.

Have you ever faced any of the above signs from your clients? Do you have another sign that can indicate your client won’t pay?

30 Hilarious LoGoOgle – The Funny side of Google!

Nora Reed — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:02:28 +0000

Google, as we all know, is the prime search engine on the cyberspace. The all famous Google logo is recognized for its multicolored scheme and unique font type. The logo design prompts the question of whether it is the color or symbol that makes a logo unforgettable.

We have heard a lot about Google Doodle contests, but have you ever come across hilarious fake parodies of the Google logos? Many Google logo designs are tailor-made for several occasions and festive days like Christmas, Halloween and Easter. But this innovative stockpile of fake parodies of the Google logos is something that you would surely enjoy.

Although there were plenty of humorous logos to choose from, I have picked out 30 of the funniest logoogles to share with you, courtesy www.logoogle.com

1. Google Shrek

2. Goooooogle

3. Spoogle

4. Goofy Google

5. Gargle

6. “Eye Tester” Google

7. Google Code

8. Stroodle

9. Giggle

10. Yahoogle

11. Gbay

12. Ringoogle

13. Gargolye

14. Guess Whoogle

15. Mc Google

16. Google Coke

17. Google Pac-Man

18. Goggles

19. Gaggle

20. Gaygle

21. Google ?

22. Google Burn

23. Google Mirror

24. Google Stutter

25. Google Alert

26. Moogle

27. Screwgle

28. Noodle

29. Google Discovery

30. Google Tax Day

Which of the LoGoOgle did you enjoy the most?

Street beggars and logo design â€“ A source of success!

Nora Reed — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:14:55 +0000

A few months back, I discussed whether a successful logo designer is talented or taught. We came to a conclusion that it is a blend of both qualities because creating a logo design requires both knowledge and creativity. The learning process complements the inner talent of a designer. The eminence of being human is that we constantly learn from one another. Right from the cradle to the grave, we continually learn from our surroundings. And it really doesn’t hurt to learn from someone who is considered to be relegated in society.

Rich habits that logo designers can learn from the beggars!

Yes…the impecunious and shelter less people roaming on the streets, commonly known as beggars are a great source of motivation and inspiration for logo designers. Sounds funny doesn’t it? But let us look at how it is helpful for logo designers.

Street beggars are found in almost every country. Although you might not get to learn about logo design trends from beggars, or they may not have terrific logo design ideas, but it is the one shrewd group who knows to make the most of every situation.

1. Explore new opportunities:

The biggest trait about street beggars is that they explore each and every possible opportunity to make their ends meet. You might be familiar of the sight of a shabby old man scavenging through a pile of garbage, looking for something to satisfy his appetite with. Logo designers must also explore different areas and must employ new ways to find more clients. One must always remember, things don’t always arrive on a silver plate. One has to make efforts to discover what he desires.

2. Confident about your skills:

You might notice that street beggars are an audacious lot. They don’t seem to have any embarrassment in beggary. On the contrary, they are confident with what they do. Moreover, you will see many beggars who show their extra-curricular skills by playing the guitar or drums. Now that is the key through which anyone can succeed. Logo designers need to be confident about their inner skills and must not hesitate in using them in practice. The thing that impresses clients the most is the level of confidence that a designer has in his work. So find that special skill and do not refrain in utilizing it as and when required.

3. Nothing is useless:

One of the best of habits that we can adopt from beggars is that they make use of everything and anything. You might have observed some alm seekers on custom-made wheelchairs or props that they make entirely out of nothing. They use anything they can find from the junkyard to devise their object of comfort. Logo designers should learn from this habit that “nothing is useless” in the field of logo designing. One must consider all possible measures while creating a logo design.

4. Put in all your energy:

Another quality to admire about beggars is the amount of hard work they put into their lives. It is a reality that pain is only realized in distress. A pauper is well versed with the pains and agonies of life, so they strive hard either to earn some dough or to collect alms. They roam around in the scorching heat to find whatever they can, making a quick buck scrubbing car windshields and other miscellaneous stuff. A recent study showed that an average beggar earns more than a bourgeoisie individual. Logo designers alike should always keep in mind that rewards are preceded by hard work.

5. Never quit easily:

You might have come across beggars who persistently ask for alms until you don’t give them. That is the thing with beggars…they never give up. This reminds me of the oscar winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”, portraing a nice message of trying until you don’t succeed. Logo designers must also refrain from saying NO to any challeneg they encounter. Many a times they are faced with clients that are difficult to convince. The key here is persuasion. In order to convince your clients on your viewpoint, incessant persuasion is needed.

6. Be happy about what you do:

Although little, but beggars remain content with whatever they get. Even if they receive a dime, they are grateful for it. Now don’t get me wrong here. I do not mean in any way to settle for whatever the client is offering. But the satisfaction should be dependent on the quality of work rather than the money attached to it. This doesn’t imply that you work pro-bono, but the on-job satisfaction is more important than the remuneration.

Logo designing is a growing field and for designers to penetrate into it requires leaving no stone unturned.

30 Fresh Logos to give you a helping hand in Logo Design

Nora Reed — Fri, 21 May 2010 13:03:45 +0000

It is often said that behind every innovative logo design, lies a creative hand. But what if the hand lies within the logo design? Funny as it may sound but employing a hand design in a logo is a very profound technique.

We all are familiar with sign language and hand gestures. The hand can portray the symbol of victory, friendship, love, hatred, synergy and numerous other ways. One cannot even imagine the myriad ways in which a simple hand can be twisted and turned to deliver a clever and emotional logo design.

Following are 30 inspirational logo designs that cleverly incorporate a hand in them.

Handmade Pictures

touchNerds

BeSmart

Work

Handmade cafe

Make A Shot

deerhand

Hypnocoach

NEFRSEF

Share Effect

Golden Friends

Oklahoma Museum Network

Helping Hands

Sign Up

RSSNAP : B/W

Fair Trade Growers

Sauerzweig Automobile

CustomPipes

Synergy

Handbook

Aircare

hogar de niÃ±os

Fernando’s Landscaping

Williamson Pottery

St. Francis Hospital

Hands Across America

Have your say:
Did these logos really made you ponder which creative hands could be behind these creative logos?

10 Famous Logo Designs and how much did they cost?

Nora Reed — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:38:57 +0000

There is a vast distinction between the price and the value of a logo design. Some corporate logos are designed at exorbitant prices but their value is not parallel to the amount paid. While, several logo designs are made at a miserly price and still turn out to be extremely valued brands.

I have been asked many a times by some of my readers as to why the prices of notable logos are seldom told? This simple yet intricate query compelled me to probe the matter. After an extensive research and hours of painstaking Google search, I managed to round up the prices of 9 famous logos along with their respective designers.

Following is a table featuring 10 prominent logo designs with their price and other statistics.

Logo	Designed by	Year	Price
Enron	Paul Rand	1990s	$ 33,000
ANZ	-	2009	$15,000,000
NeXT	Paul Rand	1986	$100,000
Pepsi	Arnell Group	2009	$ 1,000,000
London 2012 Olympics	Wolff Ollins	2007	£ 400,000
Glasgow 2014 Games	Marque Agency	2010	£ 95,000
Melbourne Australia	Landor Associates	2009	$ 240,000
Nike	Carolyn Davidson	1971	$ 35
Twitter	Simon Oxley	2009	$10-$15
Google	Ruth Kedar	1999	-

Although I toiled a lot on the internet to find the price of Google logo but could not discover it. I would like you guys to help me out in unearthing the cost of designing the Google logo. Also, if any of the above given prices is incorrect, please let me know the facts.

10 Lame reasons to get a logo designed by your neighbor!!

Nora Reed — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:32:25 +0000

It’s not new for logo designers to hear this excuse from their clients, “I’ll have my neighbor design my logo”. But they never tell you why. Most of you might not know what the reason behind this statement is. In fact there may be many reasons for clients to have their logo designed by their neighbor.

Today, I reveal the lame reasons as to why clients prefer their neighbor over professional logo design companies. Check out the top 10 amusing reasons why clients have their neighbor design a logo:

1. “He lives close to me – just next door”

Now that is one amusing reason to prefer your neighbor over a logo designer. I mean who wants to travel far off to meet a logo designer when you can go next door?